


Wicked Games

by Eveningeyes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Altar Sex, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Bathing/Washing, Bisexual Female Character, Caretaking, Everyone Needs A Hug, Evil Space Girlfriends, F/F, F/M, Fate & Destiny, Female Protagonist, Female Relationships, Force Lightning, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi-Sith War, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Love, Monsters, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, NOT actually sisters ok, Sacrifice, Sith Code, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Torture, Unrequited Love, monsters that become pets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-05-03 04:05:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14560482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eveningeyes/pseuds/Eveningeyes
Summary: Long before the damnation of the Sith and the creation of the Rule of Two, conflict is raging in the Force. As the Sith and Jedi tirelessly engage in the Jedi-Sith war, two powerful Force users, known to the galaxy as the Dark Sisters, act as the weapons of the Sith Lord Darth Atropanus. Their trust in each other and the Sith is tested when a Jedi is taken hostage. A tale of love, sacrifice, and destiny.





	1. Prologue: The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This fic contains violent and sexual material so if that is something you aren't comfortable with, this may not be the right fic for you. Thanks for understanding!
> 
> Come bother me on my Tumblr dedicated to this work (eyesofemeraldgreen.tumblr.com)

The air was dense and damp as two of Sith Lord Darth Atropanus’ informants made their way to his grand throne room. The Dark Lord had sent them to find information about the rumored Jedi activity in the Mid Rim, and they had finally returned to report their findings.

As they stepped into the throne room, waves of dark energy washed over them in a overwhelming cascade. Not only was the Sith Lord sitting at his throne, but his two favorite weapons, known to the galaxy as the Dark Sisters were standing on either side of his marbled seat. The informants had never seen the Sisters before, but they were as menacing and beautiful as the rumors warned. 

The first Sister was striking with amber skin and long, wild, obsidian hair. Her face was soft, but her black eyes were cold and empty. She was dressed in a tight fitting bodice-like costume of glossy leather that cut at the incline of her hips and left her shoulders exposed. A cape fixed around her neck showered her in darkness. She wore long black gloves and shoes that snaked all the way up to her knees, leaving a substantial amount of skin to the informant’s gaze. Her glare intensified as she noticed them staring.

The other Sister was beautiful, but her beauty was overpowered by her authority. Her face was stern like her counterpart and her dark crimson eyes radiated an energy of loathing. She wore a gown of shadowy cloth that covered almost all of her skin, exposing only her pale grey face and the long blood colored curls that flowed effortlessly around it. Her pearly hands rested together peacefully as she looked at the newcomers with contempt.

 

The informants hesitantly ceased their strides and bowed before the Sith Lord.

“Ah, yes! My greatly anticipated friends, how happy we are to see you. What news have you brought to us of our enemy?” Lord Atropanus seemed unsettlingly delighted.

“We have failed you, your Greatness but we have not found any evidence of the Jedi’s preparations,” calmly stated the first informant. A drop of sweat fell from his chin and spread on the polished floor.

“Is that so? Why is your heart beating so deliciously fast then?” Atropanus inquired with a predatory grin. The lead informant felt his blood chill under his gaze.

Before the informants could turn their heels towards the door, the Crimson Sister made a slight motion with her hands and uprooted the bedrock to lock them in a kneeling stance. She shook her head softly as if to scold them, and returned to her stoic posture. Subsequently, the Cold Sister stepped down to stand in front of them. She then lifted her gloved hand and with an unseen reach, entered the minds of the informants. Her eyes glazed over as she tore through their sights, scaring their memories in search of the one that would unveil them. Eventually, she lifted the veil.

“The Jedi offered them safety in exchange for information,” she revealed dispassionately.

“You-you mustn't believe these fallacies your Grace! We did not- we would _never_ accept their worthless offer,” pleaded the first informant, voice trembling and eyes frantic.

She scoffed. “He wished to.”

A hush fell over the room as all waited for the Dark Lord's judgement. Atropanus drew out the silence for a moment too long, as he enjoyed invoking false hope.

“Very well. Your betrayal demands penance of course, but don’t fret, an honest death shall fit as payment,” he snickered while settling into his seat. With a nod to the women, they stepped forward as the traitors squirmed and begged.

And so the women began their dance. First, a few steps by the Crimson Sister around the informants, grazing her fingertips around their shoulders. Vines of red glow flowed from her hands and twisted down their backs, searing their skin in their path. The echoes of their cries carried through the great hall. Next, the Cold Sister stalked around them to join her counterpart. She lifted her hands from her sides and closed her eyes, as if in worship. The walls of the throne room started to droop and sag, and waves of surging wails and piercing crashes filled the traitor's ears. Fixed on the hallucinations of the Cold Sister, the wailing men failed to notice the red vines slithering down their legs and encircling their necks. 

Though only a few moments passed, the severity of the physical and mental torture lasted an eternity. 

Atropanus' satisfaction was evident but growing weary fast. With a impatient shrug he fluttered his hand in the direction of the Cold Sister.

Suddenly, the Cold Sister’s eyes shot open, breaking her crafted delusion. A brief moment of relief washed over the informants. But before their eyes adjusted and their breaths were caught, the Crimson Sister clenched her fist, slicing the traitors with her vines as they burned through rugged flesh to come together.

Fragments of what the men used to be crumpled to the floor in a heap of blood and cinder.

The women came together before their master.

The dance was finished and their Dark Lord was satiated.

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading the beginning of this fun little number! I have a plan to upload at least once a week, but I may change that if I can write faster. I have high hopes for this story, and had a lot of fun learning about the Jedi-Sith conflict and what it could have been like before Darth Bane created the Rule of Two. I also firmly believe that there is a lack of strong female villains in every fandom, so I created a couple. Again, thank you very much and enjoy!  
> What inspired me this chapter:  
> \- The song Wicked Game (literally any version is a good version) originally by Chris Isaak  
> \- Shay Mitchell/Julia Jones/Tessa Thompson (Cold Sister)  
> \- Elizabeth Olsen/Jack from Mass Effect/Melisandre from GoT (Crimson Sister)  
> \- A Dark Rey/ Renperor illustration by kiddohah on Tumblr  
> A Melisandre (and Stannis) illustration by Bellabergolts (found on google but can find on deviantart.com)


	2. Consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consequence waits for anyone who tampers with the unnatural abilities of the dark side of the Force, and it was always patient for Nava.

Selah looked down at the crackling heap of flesh in front of her as her vines returned to her clenched fist. The pools of deep red were beginning to agglutinate in an irregular gelatin mess. She felt relieved to have the traitors eliminated.

Nava, however, appeared to be lost. Her face was still, and Selah barely caught notice of her quivering lip. Her wild eyes stared idly at the corpses even as Lord Atropanus spoke.

“Very well done my children. You will confirm these traitor’s confessions and visit Lord Kaan and Darth Bane on Korriban in three days time.”

“Yes, Master.” The women said in unison, though Nava’s voice was barely more than a whisper.

Selah loved to watch Nava when she intruded the minds of her victims but she regretted how the intrusions retaliated so viciously. Consequence waited for anyone who tampered with the unnatural abilities of the dark side of the Force, and it was always patient for Nava.

However, this time was different. The after effects of Nava’s psychological intrusions usually involved delirium and hazed memory, but none had ever been as severe as Nava’s current state. Even the haste of the effect’s arrival warned of its severity, and Selah desperately needed to take her to rest soon.

“We should prepare for our journey, Master. Come, Nava.” she said as she walked over to take Nava’s hand and lead her out of the throne room.

She had hoped to get her out of his sight soon. He would lash out and call Nava weak if he noticed her lethargy.

“Very well,” he spoke as his eyes fleeted around the room, searching for something to entertain him.

The women bowed and Selah helped Nava as they exited the throne room. Behind them, Selah could hear Atropanus’ shrill voice as he irritably demanded for a servant to clean up the informant’s remains.

 

*

Their bathing chambers were fashioned like the rest of the temple, with walls of frigid iron stone and little sunlight, but Selah knew that Nava liked the golden detailing that struck and splintered the cold walls like lightning. She hoped that a calming environment would help coax Nava out of her dormant state, so she decided to run a bath.

She turned on the faucet of their tub, gathered the Nabooian sea mineral soaps and spiced charcoal scrubs from Mustafar, and placed large smooth stones in a small furnace.

Nava stood stoically in the center of the room. Selah bit her lip absentmindedly as she took a moment to look back at Nava as the water swelled in the tub.

Even in her blankness Nava shone so brilliantly.

Even as children, she always shone brilliantly and beautifully.

She remembered the first time they met, both stolen children from planets they will never recognize, enslaved in someone’s plan to make a quick profit. All those years ago, Nava had found her covered in dirt and wailing in a mining pit. Selah had ran after being chastised and beat by an overseer, and in her frantic sprint she fell into a pit that was too tall to climb out.

She had been stuck there for many nights, how many for sure Selah could not recall.

She could only recall the sweetest voice she had ever heard and a very small hand reaching for hers for the first time.

They were not sisters by blood, but the way that they stayed close to each other from then on no one could ever think otherwise.

When the Sith took over the mine and found them, they held on to each other firmly.

And when their Force sensitivity was discovered, they were promptly delivered to Atropanus, who gave them the training and discipline necessary of becoming his weapons. After many years of his demands, they soon became known to the galaxy as the Dark Sisters.

Selah blinked into the present as she felt icy water at her feet. She turned off the faucet and stood to check on the now-hot stones. Carefully, she placed them into the bath which responded with spitting and hissing but acquiesced into a gentle steam. A handful of Dathomir’s finest blush red salts and the bath was ready.

Selah turned to Nava and brushed a few errant strands of hair behind her ear. The informant’s blood had freckled around Nava’s face in an angry spray, but Nava didn’t even notice, she just blinked slowly. Selah dipped a cloth in the steaming water and used it to wipe the freckles away. Nava’s eyes were still indifferent, but softening with each passing minute, to Selah’s relief.

Carefully, she helped her undress and dip into the water. They had seen each other’s bodies many times in their years together, but the sight still caught Selah’s breath, and she felt it wrong to stare in Nava’s disability. Her blushing was instantly obvious due to her dove-like skin but thankfully, Nava couldn’t notice in her daze. Though most of the after effects of Nava's power ravaged her mind, one consequence harmed her body as well. Thick, dark, snake-like scars stretched over her tan skin in reticulated patterns, and with each event, they conquered more and more of her body. It was almost as if her body was rejecting the darkness that they used to attain their power.

She liked to think that Nava could hear her when she was like this, so she sang her a hymn their Sith-hired caretakers used to sing to sooth them to sleep. While she sang, she used a small bowl to lift the warm creamy water over Nava’s dark hair and amber skin. The white suds washed over her dark scars, and they faded just the slightest. As Nava began to softly sing along, Selah exhaled in a silent blow of relief.

Soon she was fully singing in harmony with Selah, laughing and playfully grazing her hands in the warm froth. She was always brighter when they were alone, and Selah basked in the sunlight each time.

Satisfied with her work, Selah handed the bowl to Nava and stood up to leave.

As her hand rose to open the door, Nava turned around.

“Selah? Will you.. stay? Please?” she pleaded.

“Yes, always,” she replied amiably.

Though she was successful, Selah’s brows furrowed with worry.

  
_What kind of damage would the next intrusion inflict?_   She thought.

 

Her stomach plunged.

  
_Would there ever be a time where Nava wouldn’t come back to her?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Sorry for already breaking my uploading promise... Vacation plans got in the way :( But I came back with a lot of inspiration! This chapter was originally going to be a segment in a larger chapter.. but I got so carried away that I believe it can stand on its own. So maybe there will be 10 chapters... We shall see! Also, come bother me on my Tumblr dedicated to this work (eyesofemeraldgreen.tumblr.com)
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	3. Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a dog in this chapter. Well, maybe not the traditional dog but... you'll see.

Korriban was dustier than she remembered. Selah preferred the dark dankness of their current home planet, but Nava seemed to enjoy the change in scenery. When they landed, she practically sprinted out of their ship, fell to her knees and dug her hands into the hot dirt. When Selah finally joined her outside, she was lost in letting the ruby red sand fall from her grasp, beaming.

As always, Selah smiled back at her.

Korriban’s geography was as unforgiving as its inhabitants, with tenacious dust storms and vertebra-like peaks that made any path to Lord Kaan’s temple a treacherous one. Selah picked at the red dirt that gathered under her fingernails and nestled into the creases of her skin. Touching it sent chills down her spine. She was ready to get this mission over with and return to her moisture-heavy quarters.

 

*

After hours of lugging through red dirt, they eventually found the temple.

Pillars of eroded stone guided them to colossal triangular doors of Lord Kaan’s sacred temple. As they reached the doors, Selah and Nava gazed at each other in a silent conversation. Concern. Logic. Assurance. Strength. Reassured and ready, they pushed forward.

The pillars continued inside. Unlike their outside kin, these statues were protected from the howling winds, yet Selah couldn’t recognize their faces. She did however, feel the presence of many ancestral dark energies. Sith perhaps, she couldn't tell. The pillars guided them to Lord Kaan, who sat at his throne. He was cloaked in blackness, his long dark hair pulled back and his strong chin covered in facial hair. His piercing olive eyes observed them carefully.

He emitted an overwhelming shadow in the Force, but the look on his face was as warm as if he had seen long-lost family. Selah and Nava bowed promptly.

“What a pleasure to see you, Dark Sisters. Tell me, how is Lord Atropanus?” he spoke softly and calmly, bringing his hands together.

“Lord Atropanus is doing well, your Grace,” Selah replied stoically, locking eyes with the Dark Lord. Nava stared at the floor.

“Well enough to send messengers instead of a personal visit to the great Lord Kaan?” An unfamiliar voice came from behind Lord Kaan’s throne. Its owner revealed himself from behind the stone and came to Kaan’s left side. Selah immediately recognized the bald man as Darth Bane. His yellow eyes stood out in the surrounding depths of his tattoos, and as he grinned at her pervertedly, Selah felt her stomach turn.

“Lord Atropanus seeks intelligence on the Jedi’s preparations. His last informants proved to be… unsatisfactory. He wishes that you share your knowledge.” Selah chose her words very carefully. She needed to flatter Kaan and Bane enough to share their intelligence while keeping the image of her own master intimidating enough to threaten them. Kaan had overtaken many feared Sith Lords in the past, and she could not risk allowing Atropanus to appear weak.

“The Jedi are no match for the raw power of the Sith. Monitoring them is like a mighty beast worrying over the actions of puny rodents,” Kaan explained as if she were a child.

“Not if the rodents outsmart the beast,” Nava chimed in suddenly. Selah shot a glare at her.

Kaan laughed but his smile faded quickly.

“I suppose so, little one," he surmised with a shrug.

"However, I encourage you not to worry, as the Jedi are too preoccupied with finding their internal peace as they are outsmarting us. That being said, I think you have what you need. Please, do tell Atropanus I wish to see him soon.”

Before Selah could object they were shown the door. Nava kept her head low as they left the temple, and Selah stayed silence. But when the doors closed, Selah boiled over.

“How could you do that? You don’t make a noise the entire exchange except to insult the one person who has what we need? Do you not remember that he has taken over Sith planets from many Sith Lords much more powerful than our master and could very well take everything from us? How could you be so foolish Nava!” Selah tightened her fists, which were swelling with red.

Nava kept still.

“Oh, now you’ve chosen silence again.” She crossed her arms and turned towards the horizon. After a moment, she looked back to Nava, who stood there motionlessly. Silent drops of liquid darkened the sand at her feet. When Selah noticed, all of her anger melted and drifted off into the wind.

“Oh Nava, don’t cry. We can figure this out, I’ll figure it out.” She held Nava’s face in her hand and wiped away the wetness with her thumbs.

“But you have to stay strong for now alright? At least until we get off of this forsaken planet.” Nava nodded and Selah kissed her forehead. The night turned the sky a hotter red, with patches of blackness revealing the stars behind them. A vision of the future clouded in blood.

"Let's go home," she said as the last of Nava's tears dried. They began their journey to their ship when Selah heard the same menacing voice from the temple call out to them. She looked back to see Darth Bane, standing alone in the whipping sand.

“I can give you what you want, Sister,” he tempted. She paced up to him, slowly and cautiously. When she reached him, he bowed his head and kept his voice soft underneath the howling of the winds.

“The Jedi _are_ making preparations, but not as hastily as it may seem. They have their own obstacles, including the ones we so graciously give to them,” he chuckled and rubbed his chin in remembrance.

“Why are you telling me this, Bane?” She was growing impatient.

“I have found something in a temple on Rakata Prime. A key to revolutionizing the Sith from a time long forgotten. This greed for power that we possess, it plagues us and will lead to our ruin. A mighty beast... riddled with infection, if you will.”

“A wounded beast is the most deadly,” she replied.

“If it is strong enough,” Bane said with a glance towards Nava. Selah's eyes followed his and returned to face him with bloodlust. She had had enough of this planet.

“Thank you for the information, but we have our own preparations to make.” With that she grabbed Nava’s hand and made way to their ship, leaving Bane behind in the dust.

 

*

Nava inquired about Darth Bane’s message.

“He is a weak, manipulative man whose loyalty only lies in power and personal gain. His messages are not worth our time. But, at least I have something to give to Atropanus.” She hoped that it would be enough for him.

“But why help us?”

“I don’t know, Nava. I can only imagine it is for his benefit.”

“Is it possible that the Sith could be defeated?” Nava asked quietly.

“That’s a dangerous thought, and it is best to keep it out of your mind,” Selah warned, mostly because she didn't have an answer. Nava stayed silent for a few moments after that.

After a while, Selah stopped trudging the sand and turned toward Nava.

“Even in the most unthinkable event that our masters are destroyed and we face our ruin, I will never leave your side. I will never let anything come to harm you.” She grabbed her hand and squeezed it to reassure her.

Nava’s hand squeezed back.

“I know, Selah.”

They gazed at each other for a moment while the wild dust winds howled. As she observed the perfections of Nava’s scorched honey skin, murky eyes and coal black hair, Selah’s thoughts wandered to that awful idea of revealing her most secret feelings, and the air thickened around her. She thought of the sweet bliss that would come if Nava felt the same, but fear of loss overwhelmed it. She decided to be a coward and instead continued their journey with her secrets kept safely unshared.

They broke contact when the sand below them rumbled in thick reverberations. Ahead of them, a tall sand dune unraveled to reveal a black mass, slowly coming to life. Selah and Nava ignited their crimson sabers, and Selah readied her wicked vines.

The mass shook off the remaining scarlet dust in a puff and revealed itself to be a wild beast, two or three men in height and covered in drooping black patches of rough fur. The massive wolf-like creature had a mouth lined with rows of dripping, greenish yellow fangs and wraith-like eyes. It stood high to reveal an open ribcage dripping with rotten flesh. With an furious roar, it charged them.

“Run, Nava!” Selah yelled as she sprinted towards the skeleton beast. Her feet could not dig into the sand as efficiently as the beast, who made a dive at her, snapping its jaws hungrily.

She dodged the attack gracefully.

Nava ran towards the beast as well, grabbing onto its tail. It soon noticed her and flicked her off like a whip, throwing her onto a dune with a harsh thud.

“Nava!” Selah screamed hysterically.

The beast dashed to her to finish her off.

With its head away from her, Selah sliced into the beast’s legs with her saber, which angered it greatly. It whipped around, stood on its hind legs and lunged towards her. She dodged this attack too, but not as closely as her robe snagged in the beast’s teeth. Quickly, she cut it with her vines to avoid being dragged and thrown into the sand.

They circled around each other as the beast snapped its jaws and snarled, as if challenging her.

Soon, it grew impatient. Another attack, Selah darted as the beast lunged for her again and again and instead bit into the hot dirt. The beast became more frustrated and Selah was growing exhausted fast. She looked around for Nava, who was gone from where she lay.

Suddenly, the beast’s snout faced the blood-red sky and Selah noticed Nava on its back, plunging her saber into the beast’s neck. A sharp howl seared Selah’s ears, but she looked up to notice the beating heart of the beast fully exposed. Slowly, she stood and raised her saber once more. In a final burst of rage, she lunged for the beast and with her own furious roar, struck her vines into its ribcage and ripped out the heart. She commanded them to bring the heart to her, and ignited it in her palm.

The glow of the beast’s eyes faded, and the massive creature slumped in the sand.

Nava darted over to Selah and they collided in a fervent embrace, sinking into the warm sand.

“I couldn’t see you… I thought…” Nava was weeping.

“I know, I know.” Selah held on tight, combing Nava’s shadowy mane with her fingers. Nava pushed her face into the nape of Selah’s pale neck.

A low moan interrupted them. The women frantically looked at the carcass of the beast. Selah thought she saw it flinch. They helped each other stand and back away from the convulsing body. The beast’s flesh was moving, and it seemed to be growing. No, healing. Slowly, the black patches of fur filled and lost its pigmentation to reveal soft white hair. The ghostlike color of the beast’s eyes saturated into a golden yellow and soft fur covered flesh mended and spread over its ribcage.

Finally, the eyes blinked and the creature rose again. It was stronger in death, somehow, Selah could feel it. She ignited her saber again and prepared herself for another battle. She used the Force to push Nava into the dune as the beast lunged for her again.

As the creature raced towards her, Selah inhaled deeply in preparation, but instead of snapping at her, the beast knocked her down and began happily licking her face. Selah’s lightsaber disengaged and fell into the sand. Tail wagging, the creature licked her all over, and howled at her in a pleasant sort of way, as if finally seeing its master after a lifetime apart.

Selah couldn’t help but laugh. Nava walked towards them, confused.

“What is happening?” she implored.

“I have no idea, but I believe it’s loyal to me now!” Selah laughed in between licks from the creature.

 

*

“I think I’m going to call him Amarok,” Selah said, pleased as the three of them continued their path to the ship.

“You want to keep it? How are you going to explain that to Atropanus? How are we going to get it on the ship? What if it can’t survive at home?” Nava was suddenly very chatty.

As Nava droned on, Selah pet her new friend and wondered about Bane’s warning about the mighty beasts and their weaknesses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! This one is very long I know but I hope it makes up for my absence! If you have questions or wanna chat visit my Tumblr dedicated to this work (eyesofemeraldgreen.tumblr.com)
> 
> What inspired me this chapter:  
> Darth Revan's Sith Holocron (can read about it on Wiki) is what Bane is referring to... the "key"  
> Amarok- Sulyvahn's Beast from Dark Souls 3 - I just love the idea of a huge dog as your sidekick  
> Fenrir- Thor  
> A lot of Billie Marten songs


	4. Catharsis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has a little heat... and by heat I mean SEX. You've been warned. ;)

Amarok was curled serenely next to Selah as she meditated at the red altar. His ivory fur was positively thick now, and reflected the redness like a cloud stuck in deep sunset. He slept soundly as she concentrated, searching in the Force. Both of them were calm in the thick darkness, illuminated only by the soft glow of the many candles that outlined the shrine and the pulsing scarlet blooms of Selah’s vines. Thick stalks of spiced smoke rose from the soft orange ends of burning incense and filled the headspace of the altar. Above them were the words of the Sith Code, carved into the center wall of the shrine.

 

 

Peace is a lie, there is only PASSION.  
Through passion, I gain STRENGTH.  
Through strength, I gain POWER.  
Through power, I gain VICTORY.  
Through victory,  
my chains are broken,  
THE FORCE shall free me.

 

She was searching for something but she wasn't quite sure of its purpose or form. The Force showed her a dark stone obstruction, and the item she searched for behind it. In the vision she pounded on the stones with her fist, desperate to see what’s lurking just beyond her reach, but they were relentless and stiff. Her brow furrowed and the hairs on her skin stood at attention as she continued. Blinded by her focus she did not notice the carmine sparks of electricity flickering at her fingertips. They extinguished immediately as her meditation was interrupted by a particular signature in the Force, one that she longed to feel every day, every moment. She wondered if Amarok felt it too, as his ears perk up with no audible noise heard.

Dressed in long scarlet-laced robes, she joined them on the woven prayer rug.

“I’ve never really understood the dark side. Not more than what our exchanges with one another will allow. Not like you,” Nava said quietly.

They both stared at the grand altar in front of them.

“The world perceives us to be drugged by power and fueled by chaos. Some do find it intoxicating, but the potential of the dark side really comes from emotion.” Selah looked to the Code with enlightened eyes. “Yes, it floods those who are fervent and angry, but it really stems from actions tied to strong emotions… such as protecting what is yours.” Selah glanced at Nava’s lips. “And I plan on doing so until the Force takes me as it takes all of us.”

“I wish I were strong-hearted like you, but I don’t think I am. I don’t know if I ever could be,” Nava mumbled. Selah looked at her and took her hands in her own.

“Nava, you never have to feel that way. Remember the Code, remember what it means, and through the Force, you shall be free.”

As their hands remained together her mind went to that awful place once more. Something, maybe the elation of the incense, or the meditation clearing her mind, or even perhaps the encouragement of the Force itself but the fear that usually petrified her was somewhat subdued. So when she spoke, the words no longer hung in her throat like stones.

“Nava, I will protect you from anything.”

“I know.” Nava kept her gaze at their enclosed hands.

“No, I don’t think you understand. At least, not all of it. Nava I-”

“Selah, I _know_ ,” she cut her off sharply and glanced up to lock eyes with Selah. Her eyes were soft, but she didn't smile and it sent Selah spiraling. She couldn’t help but hold her breath. Her gaze flitted around the room, searching for an escape from the feeling of overwhelming relief and regret, an escape from Nava’s knowing gaze. Her mouth grew dry enough to mute her, so she just waited.

The air thickened around them as her secret rest fully exposed.

Nava’s hand finally untangled from their joining and pulled Selah’s up to touch her own face, placing her pale palm on her cheek and her thumb on her lips, just like they had been a few days before. She turned her head so that her warm lips brushed the inside of Selah’s hand. She then placed soft, lingering kisses in Selah’s palm, sending pricks up Selah’s arm and deep flushes of heat down her inner abdomen.

Selah’s mouth finally grew wet enough to allow her to whisper.

“Please.. don’t make a fool of me… you are my greatest weakness… please...”

Nava turned away from her palm and quickly minimized the space between their bodies, then their faces, then finally their lips by kissing Selah delicately and cautiously. At first they were both timid in the ways that their lips slide over each other, but soon they both gave in to their own curiosities, enjoying the warmth of each other’s breath and the taste of their mouths.

Though every fiber in her being objected it, she lifted away from Nava, whose eyes were still closed as they broke away. Nava slowly realized the loss of touch, and her brows furrowed as she opened her eyes. Selah locked her gaze and initiated a new silent conversation to ask her a question she had never dared to ask before. Nava replied by letting her robe fall from her shoulders, as red glow shone on her exposed skin.

Concern. Consent. Assurance. Lust.

The thick air now burned hot as they dove into each other once more. Selah’s heart pounded as she licked around Nava’s mouth, aching for touch and desperate to know what the rest of her lover tasted like. Nava dug her hands into Selah’s red hair and bit her redder lips. She moved one hand down to squeeze Selah’s neck as Selah’s own hands plunged down Nava’s sides and back. Selah pressed against Nava’s lips hungrily as her hands curled around her heated thighs, leaving behind pale stripes of scratched skin which reddened raw. A small murmur escaped Nava’s mouth and heat flooded between Selah’s thighs.

She lifted Nava up and laid her down on the rug in a swift motion, quickly gathering her wrists in one hand while taunting her thighs with the other. She traced up Nava’s jaw to her left ear and teased her ear with the tip of her tongue, causing Nava to squirm against the rug. Selah smirked into the nape of Nava’s neck.

“I’m going to show you how beautiful you are,” she growled. Her kisses began to travel downward as Nava’s breathing became uneven. She grazed Nava’s shoulders, her collarbone, her breasts. “I’m going to make you moan until all of our ancestors are awake.” Her kisses turned ravenous as she greedily sucked and licked past her navel and her hips, releasing Nava’s wrists to grasp her right breast. She hovered over the source of Nava’s heat and whispered a promise.

 

“Even if it takes all night.”

 

She then began keeping her promise as Nava writhed and rocked into the rug and into Selah.

 

She kept it until all of the shrine's candles burned to their edges. 

*

 

Selah awoke in a dreamy haze, questioning the events before and their validity. Surely she could have envisioned it, but then again, Nava laid next to her, naked and asleep. Selah beamed as the memories came to her. The feeling of Nava’s bare skin against hers, riddled in goosebumps and sweat. The scent of her bronzed skin, like nectar and morning dew. The untamed and insurmountable pleasure that they gave each other.

However her bliss was soon overwhelmed by a rush of urgency.

  
“Nava, wake up. We must leave before the zealots come.” The disciples would surely be shocked to find how they desecrated their holy shrine. Nava nodded her head heavily. They quickly picked up their robes and met Amarok at the entrance, clearly sleeping through his guard duty. The three of them scampered in the moonlight back to their chambers, naked and giggling through the cold, sleepy halls. Once they reached their chambers, they collapsed in Nava’s bed, succumbing to sleep once more.

 

 

*

 

She awoke again to Nava delicately tracing her fingers on her face. Unaware of her awakening, Nava continued trailing down her cheekbones, down to her lips. Once at Selah’s lips, she hesitated, as if concentrating in study. Selah took the opportunity, and in an instant tried to nip at Nava’s fingers. She nearly missed her, and Nava instinctively gasped in shock. Selah opened her eyes and beamed, giggling. Nava groaned, clearly offended. Selah continued laughing, and wrapped Nava in an embrace, which eventually made Nava laugh as well. Her laughter subsided with a sigh as she wrapped a finger in Selah’s wild curls.

“I could stay here forever,” she whispered.

“What’s stopping you?” Selah asked and kissed her softly.

Their kiss was interrupted by a soft repetitive rapping at their chamber door. Amarok perked his head up and growled. Selah rolled her eyes and flipped over, her long red curls close behind.

“What?” she shouted in the direction of the nuisance.

“You are being summoned in the Grand Room by Lord Atropanus, milady.” The servant opened the door and upon realizing the scene in front of her, cleared her throat and kept her gaze at the floor. Nava hid under the covers, while Selah let her exposed breasts intimidate the servant.

“May I inquire as to the relevance of a summon this early?” Selah persisted, irritated.

“They have captured a Jedi, milady.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Here I am promising angst and delivering a lot of fluff... but don't fret, the introduction of a new character will spice things up! Thank you as always for reading! If you want to talk about the story or talk in general, my Tumblr is eyesofemeraldgreen :)
> 
>  
> 
> What inspired me this chapter:  
> Sith Code- easily found on google/Wookieepedia  
> A lot of rainy days and thesaurus work (how many ways can you say something is red!?!)


	5. The Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when it gets real everybody!

The Jedi was brought to Atropanus shortly after Selah and Nava arrived at his side, followed by Amarok who towered over all of them. Atropanus lifted an eyebrow at Selah, but remained silent. Instead, he tapped his fingertips on the marbled arm of the throne, and Selah took note of his uneasiness. Soon after, armored bounty hunters brought in the light-sider, dragging him by his elbows across the great hall. When they dumped him at Atropanus’ feet, he coughed and staggered on his knees. His eyes of emerald green were sunken and dull, but he lifted his chin in defiance.

The signature radiating off of the Jedi was vibrant, and as it permeated throughout the throne room, Selah winced. The light was so bright and acidic it burned her senses. She hadn’t faced a Jedi in ages, and apparently had forgotten just how volatile their presence was. She glanced at Nava, who didn’t seem to notice the change, and whose gaze was curiously fixed on the Jedi’s face.

“Your request, Lord Atropanus. He was found in the forests praying,” said the first hunter, clad in insect shell armor and a dusty grey mask. The second hunter, who sported armor lined with exotic furs, spoke distortedly through his black mask as he knelt in front of Atropanus.

“His weapon, Your Grace.” The contorted voice offered as he served the silver light saber. Atropanus played with the saber, transferring it from one hand to the other before placing it on the arm of the throne.

“We are most appreciative for your valiant deed. You will be compensated as promised,” said Atropanus, as a servant brought a wooden chest to the first hunter. They nodded promptly and hurriedly made their way out of the throne room.

“So,” sighed Atropanus as his gaze flickered from the saber to the young Jedi at his feet. “What will we find in you, little fool?”

“You won’t get _anything_ from me!” spat the Jedi as he shifted to stand. But before his knee lifted enough to allow his feet to reach the ground in front of him, Amarok growled and snapped his jaws menacingly, his creamy fur fluffed out and pink snarl dripping as he hovered over the Jedi, who acquiesced into his original posture. Selah smoothed the raised fur on Amarok’s shoulder as he calmed under her touch. Atropanus chuckled, his hand covering his mouth.

“We’ll see about that. Child!” He waved his hand to Nava, who stepped down and reached out to search the Jedi’s mind. She probed for a few moments, and soon it was far too many moments, as Atropanus began tapping his fingers again and Selah began to worry. _What was taking her so long?_

“I can’t… I can’t see, Master,” she whispered. Her hands trembled just inches away from his face. Tears threaten to spill as she stared into the void.

“Well! This is very interesting indeed,” said Atropanus who, to Selah’s surprise, was not as frustrated as she would have expected him to be. In the silence that followed, the Jedi took his chance and looked to Nava. Though his breath was ragged, his words were seamless and soft.

“You. There is evil residing in you which does not belong. It isn't too late, you can be cleansed and your soul can be at peace.” Nava broke her stare to return the gaze of the emerald eyes below her, and the tears finally spilled down her face. The Jedi blinked back at her, his eyes wide and lips barely parted.

Anger swept through Selah, its icy touch spreading across her skin, then replaced by flames.

“ _Peace_ is a lie, lets show them that,” she spat. Raising her hand, her vines crept from underneath her wrist and floated down to slither against the Jedi’s pulse. She could feel the rushed thumping in his throat. The Jedi grimaced and broke his contact with Nava to scowl at her. Selah squatted down in front of him, her scarlet gaze meeting his.

“In what order shall we send you back to them? Hmm? Shall I slice off your poisonous tongue first? Perhaps your eyelids that shield you from the truth? Or…” She cocked her head slightly, her curls grazing the tops of her thighs, and glanced at his crotch. “Something a little more precious to you?” she said with a grin. Nava shifted on her feet. “See, I thought that as a rule, Jedi remain celibate, so surely you wont be needing _that_ anymore.” She laughed and tightened her vine’s grip on his neck. She stood, turning towards the Dark Lord sitting casually in his throne. “Master?” she insisted, awaiting permission to strike.

Atropanus grinned back at her, but his eyes were stern. “Though I enjoy your bloodlust my child I have to object. This one is too precious to us, and until we receive what we need, he must live.” He motioned towards Nava, whose hand flinched above the Jedi’s forehead. “You will continue until we have the information. He will writhe until we have what we desire.”

Selah felt a tight pull in her abdomen. The Jedi wasn’t the only one who would suffer from this. “But Master you—”

“I have made my decision!” he roared at her, eyes darting around the surprised faces of the throne room. “I _suggest_ you respect it. Take them away.”

Nava’s tears continued spilling down her cheeks as the guards grabbed the Jedi again and started dragging him to the containment cells. In an instant, she looked to Selah’s wide, frantic eyes, gave her a quick smile, and turned to begin quietly pacing behind them.

 

*

It had been hours since the ordeal in the throne room, and Selah found that the only place in the fortress that wasn’t reeking of the light-sider was the altar. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the impenetrable stone wall from before. The incense drifted in the air, and it reminded her of that heavenly night they had together. How Nava’s skin was so warm under her touch, how her lips had parted when she broke away from their kiss. How the Jedi reacted similarly when he gazed into Nava’s eyes. Selah’s eyes shot open, prickles tumbling down her spine and through her extremities. This was not the first time the Jedi had ruined her mediation.

“Ugh!” she puffed in frustration. Amarok perked his head up, blinking slowly, as he clearly was able to find sleep despite the Jedi contaminating her sanctuary. “Sorry,” she said, petting the soft fur between his ears as he rested his head down to drift away again. Selah wondered about Nava and why she couldn’t penetrate the Jedi’s mind. It was as if he knew what was to come, and had previously trained in some sort of Force ability to shield against her search. Fatigued and frustrated, Selah stood up from the altar and blew out the red glow of the candles. She called for Amarok and they made their way to her quarters. As they reached the hall, she turned her head towards the containment cell, and let out another sigh.

 

*

After many more hours, Selah practically leapt from the bed as she heard the door open and Nava trudge through the doorway. Wrapping her in a tight embrace, Selah sighed into Nava’s wild hair. Pulling back, She grasped her soft face in her hands. She looked exhausted and fragile, like she was the one being tortured and not the Jedi. Selah kissed her softly in a silent apology. She led her to the bed and paced to fetch her a glass of water.

As Nava sipped, Selah brushed her hair behind her ear.

“What happened? Did you find anything?” she asked.

Nava stared at the floor. She seemed particularly distant and quiet, and it was enough to answer Selah’s questions. Whatever this was, it wasn’t going to end quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading!! From here on out, things should be easier to write (as I have a LOT more notes) so hopefully I can update soon. Additionally, I've noticed that in many places of this fic I can't decide on what tense I want to use (ugh) so I'm going to fix that, sorry everyone. Also, I have a Tumblr dedicated to this work, under eyesofemeraldgreen.tumblr.com if you want to reach me there (hint, I just learned how to make moodboards!) 
> 
>  
> 
> What inspired me this chapter:  
> JOLENE - Dolly Parton (the vibe is enough of a spoiler)  
> Basically all interrogation scenes in movies (I love when Selah gets a little snarky don't you?)


	6. Abandonment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nothing hurts like a woman can."- Can't Go On Without You by Kaleo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes panic attacks and explicit violence so if that is something that isn't your jam, I would kindly click away. Thank you for understanding!
> 
> Remember way back when I said that another work was the most angst I had ever written? I was wrong. THIS is the most angst I have ever written. You'll see what I mean. 
> 
> If you want to chat my Tumblr for writing is eyesofemeraldgreen! :)

That morning, Selah awoke with Nava gone. She clutched the sheets where they had slept. They were cold, so she must have left before dawn.

It continued like that for many cycles.

She would spend her days alone, training, meditating or going on intel missions for Atropanus, while Nava remained trapped with the Jedi. Each night, Nava would return physically exhausted and emotionally hesitant, and Selah would try to soothe her like how she did before, but as time dragged on, it became more and more arduous to make her resurface. Some nights she tried to remind Nava of the Code, that the Force would break her chains, but Nava wouldn’t hear it. After hours of empty attempts, Selah would give in to sleep. She would wake to a bed that was without warmth and soaked with the stench of the light-sider, which only grew fouler.

Even their kisses were growing dry, and Selah felt like Nava was slipping from her grasp like snow melting in spring.

 

*

She often released her frustrations in training. Atropanus gave his weapons their own arena to train in, located just outside the temple. The women had reduced it to rubble over the years, and now it served as a sanctuary for Selah. She had chased off all of the guards who were foolish enough to try and spar with her, so now her only companion was Amarok, who was delighted to take the challenge. She would spot a boulder on the ledge of what had previously been a seating area, send her vines to wrap around it, and hurl the massive rock across the sky. Amarok chased the boulder enthusiastically, the claws of his enormous paws creating grooves in the ground. She watched him disappear into the foliage, his mountainous white mass swallowed in the forrest greens. While he was busy searching, she practiced with her saber, executing the lunges and strikes she had perfected into a dance. While she danced, her mind wandered to Nava.

 _What was taking her so long? If she didn’t have information from the Jedi soon, Atropanus would punish her._ She shook the thought away. _This was all the Jedi’s fault. If he hadn’t been in their territory, they would be happy._ She _would be happy._

Suddenly she lost her footing and spun around on her ankle, sending a beam of pain up her leg as she fell to the ground. She shrieked violently and powerfully. She shrieked because of the pain, helplessness, and loneliness rushing through her. She shrieked because she didn’t feel real anymore.

As if on cue, Amarok pranced back to her, crushing smaller trees clumsily underneath his feet, the massive boulder wet with saliva between his jaws. She looked up at him as he dropped it beside her, the impact agitating the earth underneath them.

 

*

That evening they returned to Nava sitting on the bed, hands in her lap. When she noticed their arrival, she stood up quickly.

“You’re back… early,” said Selah.

“Yes.” Nava gave a quick half-smile.

“Well, have you found anything or is he finally dead?” she sneered. Nava didn’t answer. They stood in silence for a while, which slowly became unbearable. Nava was the first to break it.

“Do you remember what Bane warned us about?”

“Of course, I remember.” Selah started to make her way towards the bath.

“I, uh, I think he was right. The Jedi says-”

“The _Jedi?_ ” She whipped around. Nava inhaled deeply and closed the distance between them.

“Selah, what if we’re on the wrong side? What would we do if-”

“I would protect you. You know this,” she snapped.

“The war is approaching sooner than you think Selah, and where we are we will not survive it. The Jedi, he says we can go with him, we can find peace. He wants good things for me, for both of us! Selah we could finally be free!” She was racing.

“Maybe I don’t want to be free!” she objected. “Can you hear yourself, Nava? What happened to you?”

Nava opened her mouth as if to say something else, but nothing came out. Selah finished for her.

“Do you love him? Is that it? Are you blinded by his pretty face?” she taunted, propelled by pure anger.

“Selah!” Nava gasped.

“But you don’t deny it!” she roared, yet her words were groggy and fragile, as if her demons were reaching up her throat to snatch them desperately. They examined each other for a long time. Selah looked into Nava’s eyes and initiated another of their silent conversations.

Disarray. Confession. Realization. Rage.

Her fists tightened, creating deep crescents in her palms.

“I’m going to finish this,” Selah barely heard her words as her ears flushed with the sound of her own heart thumping viciously. She knocked into Nava’s shoulder roughly as she stormed past her out of their quarters and down the hall, towards the cell confining the Jedi.

As she charged down the hall, the smell of the Jedi only amplified. It burned her skin and made her eyes water, or was that from something else? Her stomach turned over. She sought for her saber, crushing the crystal inside to elicit the bright beam of screeching red.

Nava pleaded from behind her, “Wait, Selah… Wait!”

As she approached the cell, she lifted her hand to open the chamber door. Behind it was a vacant room, empty save a sliver of moonlight that dyed the air a deep shade of inky blue and, of course, the Jedi. He peered up expectantly, but his smile faded as he recognized the dark-sider in front of him. Selah summoned her vines to grip his throat and lifted him to his knees. Their scarlet glow contaminated the room, mutating the calm blue light into a sickly violet. A pleased grin tugged at the corner of her mouth as she lifted her screaming saber and prepared to strike.

“Selah, STOP!” Nava exclaimed as she raced in front of them and spread herself over the Jedi.

“What are you _doing?_ ” Selah fumed.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” Nava protested. Her eyes were blinking rapidly, but her voice was clear and firm.

“You’re defending him? After all they’ve done?” Selah shook her head in disbelief. Acid threatened to peak in her throat.

“There is a better way, Selah! Please don’t do this!” She raised her hand above her as if pleading for her own life. Selah only stared, unable to believe the scene in front of her. The space behind her eyes burned as she looked down upon her beloved. Nava’s hand shook as she started to weep. In between ragged breaths, she confessed, “Do you remember, that night at the altar, when I told you that I do not belong here. With our Master? With the dark side?” Only then did Selah realize what Nava meant.

“With _me._ ” She winced, tears making their appearance though much to her chagrin. Nava exhaled.

“Please, Selah. _This_ is where I belong.” She laid a hand on the Jedi’s shoulder. Selah’s blood turned frigid. She gazed into Nava’s eyes, searching for some sort of explanation, some sort of escape, but found nothing.

The next words she could not recall fathoming, let alone speaking.

“Go. Get out,” she hissed.

“What?” Nava croaked.

“I said go. LEAVE,” Selah cursed ruggedly. She extinguished her anger as both her saber and the Jedi collapsed to the floor. Selah’s mind began to swirl and she wondered if this was what Nava’s victims felt like, if this were all some sick hallucination. Her fingers grew numb and her feet were absent, so she just stood adrift as as she watched the two figures in front of her embrace and stagger to stand. She blinked as she barely recognized the sounds of their discussion.

“But, what about-”

“No, there’s no time. We have to go now!” The Jedi urged. A few seconds of silence followed. “Nava come on!”

Selah felt the familiar comfort of Nava’s palm pressed to her cheek. Absently, she leaned into it and felt softness on her lips as Nava kissed her tenderly.

“Thank you,” Nava whispered when she broke away, and as quickly as Selah felt the warmth of her hand disappear, they were gone.

 

*

Selah sank to her knees. Her hands clutched her chest, her throat. She felt as if her body was disintegrating from within, the hole in her heart sinking deeper and deeper. She couldn’t remember how to breathe. They were gone, _she_ was gone. She could feel it in the Force, their signatures dashing through the halls in a rushed escape. She could feel Nava drift away, as easily as the red sands of Korriban in the winds of a dust storm. She did not realize that she was screaming, expelling the air within her with such deafening violence that the wails which came sounded more animal than human. She bent down to lay her forehead against the cool marbled floor, clutching at it with her hands. She then beat her hands against the stone rapidly and fiercely, until they returned as red as her hair. She brought one slick hand to where Nava touched her last and mourned so potently in the Force that the ground buckled beneath her, splintering the marbled floors throughout the temple.

 

*

Hours later, she knelt at the feet of the Dark Lord with her head bowed.

“My disappointment in this is… unprecedented. You haven’t any idea where they are?”

“They are not here.”

“Don’t patronize me, fool. It will not end well for you. Now, I will ask once more, where are they?”

Her left eyelid twitched. “The Jedi took her in the night. I cannot sense her any longer.” The words hurt more than she realized.

He exhaled. “What a tragedy. She would have made for an incredible dark-sider. You however, are _worthless_ without her.”

Selah felt a tear seep out of her eye in silent agreement.

“You will find them, and end them,” he finished. Selah’s heart fluttered in her chest. She turned up to lock eyes with her master, her mouth in a tight line.

“No,” she spat.

“You dare defy me?” he growled as he stood from his throne and raised his hand to hover over her forehead. He stretched his fingers, and Selah felt a wave of excruciating pain wash over her, setting every nerve on fire and immobilizing her extremities. She grunted and squeezed her eyes shut as the waves of pain crashed over her again and again. At first, she accepted them as some sort of penance or morbid reminder. But then she thought of Nava, how it would hurt her to see her like this, and how she could almost hear her sweet voice in her ear pleading _get up, fight back_ and the pain began to distance itself. As the pain subsided, she met his gaze once more.

In his dark, vacant eyes, she could see something. It was very faint, but there, and she recognized it. It was the wall from her visions, the indestructible wall of stone with the secret behind it. Sweat soaked into her hair and dripped from her chin. She could see the wall vividly now, and she placed a metaphorical hand on it, focusing. Atropanus pushed harder. Selah cried out from the pain, but tried to channel it into the wall behind his eyes. She imagined one stone fall to the ground. In front of her Master, she lifted her knee. More stones crumbled, and Selah stood up despite Atropanus struggling to push her down.

“Stupid woman! I am your Master!” he sputtered as his eyes turned frantic.

“No, you are a cage. Rusted and weak,” she retorted through clenched teeth as she leaned into his face and laid a slender hand on the side of his skull. "And through the Force,” she panted into his mouth and sunk her nails into the slick skin of his scalp. “I shall break free!”

Behind his alarmed eyes, she saw the wall disintegrate. In their reflection, she saw the blood red irises of her own eyes morph into a hot sun-scorched orange. Crimson sparks flickered from her claws, and upon breaking her chains, she unleashed her wrath into her old Master. The scarlet lightning danced across his horrified complexion, blackening his skin and blistering him. His screams of agony echoed in the throne room and she grinned as she intensified the attack. As her claws sunk deeper into his temple, her vines wrapped themselves sensually around his neck. She grinned wickedly as they tightened, severing his head as she ripped it clean off of his body, the blood spattering across her collarbones. His corpse slumped awkwardly to the foot of the throne, still spraying hot blood.

Breathing roughly and unevenly, she turned to face the throne room, his head dangling from her hand.

“Anyone else?” she challenged, and crushed his skull in her grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I know there aren't a lot of you out there but it really does mean a lot to me! This chapter had been intimidating me for months because these scenes were the reason why I wanted to write this fic in the first place, and why I'm still writing even with the lack of attention. I seriously couldn't have done it without wilde-world, she has helped me stay motivated, stay positive, and stay grammatically correct (I hope)! Check out her blog on Tumblr and her fic called Sober Up (Wilde_world), it's really special <3 
> 
> What inspired me this chapter:  
> THAT scene from Game of Thrones. You know the one.  
> Jedi’s chambers - Where John Smith was kept in Pocahontas before his execution. Very blue.  
> The face holding part with Atropanus and Selah- when Snoke tortures Rey in The Last Jedi
> 
> Songs:  
> The Ice Is Getting Thinner by Death Cab for Cutie  
> I Can’t Go On Without You by Kaleo  
> Jolene by Dolly Parton  
> Touch by Shura  
> Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl by Wet  
> Kingdom Come by The Civil Wars
> 
> I have a whole playlist dedicated to this fic hahah it’s on my Tumblr if you're interested


	7. The Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selah’s eyes followed the pale fingers and saw the thousands of bodies filling the canyon. She knew they were Sith, she could feel it.
> 
> “All your kind believe in is power, and power is not something to be shared among thousands. Yes, your kind shall succumb almost entirely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I apologize for the extremely long wait for this new chapter... other projects and life changes got in the way ;) But I'm excited to start this up again and hopefully finish it soon! <3 Thank you everyone who has stuck it out!

SEVERAL YEARS LATER

Ash rained down on winded grasses as fire licked and leapt over the huts of a nameless village in a forgotten desert. Selah stalked through a path carved by blaze, her irises a perfect reflection of the roaring flames. At her command, her soldiers sprayed fire on the huts and gathered the villagers, whose cries rang in the night as they watched their livelihoods burn. She paced past them up to the center of the village, where two of her men stood on either side of the village elder. The frail, time-scarred being was pushed into the dirt with his head forcefully bowed. She lowered herself and cocked her head to meet his eye.

“You’ve seen them, haven’t you,” she surmised. He spat on the ground, darkening the dirt at her feet. Her lips curled up in a smirk as she squared her shoulders. “So proud! I understand. You represent something to your people, you can’t just submit to an outside invader can you? Well, that would make you look weak! Can’t have that, can we?” She whipped her head around and gasped, pretending to first notice the fire surrounding them. Her voice turning frigidly calm, she whispered into his ear. “What will you do when your village is gone I wonder?” He bored his stern, wrinkled eyes into her.

Her playful bit disintegrated into a harsh stare. “Where did they go?” she demanded, her patience dangerously thin.

“I will not help the demon who rains fire on my home and tortures my people,” he objected.

Selah exhaled. “I thought you would say that.” She made a clicking sound with her tongue as she ran a hand through her errant curls. “You know, my Sister was able to read the minds of her victims.” She turned her hand over, her glowing vines appearing from underneath her wrists. They danced in the village elder’s gaze. “Now, I can’t do that but I have the idea that you’ll give me what I want anyway,” she promised darkly.

With that, she flicked her fingers to send her vines burrowing into the elder’s knees. They twisted and sizzled as they curled below his kneecaps and he shrieked in pain. Selah watched curiously as his body shuddered and his cries spilled into the crisp night air.

She marched back to her ship with her second in command at her heel, his presence indicating that he was requesting an update. She rubbed her palms together and gave a half-shrug. “Men always fall when given enough pain. This one said that they gave them a sack of fruit and four containers of water, and that they left in the direction of the rising sun. Have your men prepare to advance on whichever village is four days east of here.”

“Promptly, Your Grace,” he answered and scurried back to his squadron after a quick bow.

Amarok proudly stood guard in front of the entrance to the ship. His massive tail thumped the ground madly as Selah approached him and dug her hands into his thick ivory fur, whispering encouragements and compliments below her breath. Her praise was interrupted by a timid yet steady voice behind her.

“Your Grace, what shall we do with the villagers?” one of her soldiers queried. She turned around to see him standing in front of a group of petrified village people huddled together narrowly like sheep on the morning of slaughter.

Selah stalked to the group of villagers, bending over to look at their pleading faces. One young man in particular reached his hands out, begging her in a language she did not comprehend, yet the message was always the same. She cupped her hand around the young man’s face and stared into his frantic eyes. “Execute them, of course,” she replied with a casual smile and turned towards her ship, the sounds of laser fire and screaming applauding her exit.

 

 

*

When she finally arrived to the temple, she and Amarok retired in the place they always retired, the bed still as cold and empty as the day _she_ left. Most days, Selah could keep her pain at bay. Most days, she could prevent it from spilling over until she was alone. That day, however, she barely made it to Nava’s quarters before her stomach turned over heavily and hot tears stung her cheeks. The emotional toil of Nava’s fleeing fueled the darkness in Selah, granting her strength she didn’t even know she had, but at the end of each day her the longing for her lover overpowered the hate for her betrayer. It crept over her entire body, cramping her muscles and drowning her lungs. Whenever something even slightly reminded her of Nava, she felt like someone replaced the air with smoke and crushed her chest.

Safely alone, she sobbed into Amarok’s soft fur while he curled around her, his large snout nuzzling her feet as she wailed into his heaving ribcage. He was the only warm thing left in her life, and she clung to him desperately to ride out the pain until exhaustion couldn’t be fought off any longer. Eventually her body weakened and she fell into a deep sleep, cradled by pillowy white fur.

 

She dreamt that she was weightless and free. Free of duty, free of keeping appearances, free of pain. She was floating in an unending lake, its waters bottomless and murky. Her long red streaks of hair were the only flash of color in the waves, her pale grey skin the only light in the abyss of darkness. She let the cool water glide between her outstretched fingers as she swam. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something in the water, something resembling a flicker of light. The flicker danced beneath the surface and disappeared as quickly at it appeared. Selah blinked and it was gone.

She blinked again. It reappeared, shifting from below the water and slowly drifting towards the surface in front of her. Selah swam towards it, her dream-heavy mind ardently curious. The shimmer floated to the top, and as it emerged, a white glow gathered and then began to take form. The shape of it crisped intricately as it rose above the surface, and Selah recognized the feminine form. It was a woman, but something else too, something powerful and wise. Something older than her, older than the lake, older than everything.

Her hair, a glistening foggy cream color, was so delicate and crystalline that it appeared to be made of stardust. Selah reached out to touch it, but the eldritch entity evaded her. Then, Selah was not swimming anymore, but floating above the lake water with the woman, as if the moving waves were solid ground. She glanced down to see water dripping from her toes and joining the lake below. She returned her gaze to the entity in front of her.

“Who are you?” Selah wondered.

“I am what you perceive me to be,” the woman whispered. “And what I perceive of you.”

“And what is that?”

“Pain,” the ghost said slightly.

The woman lifted her chin, and suddenly her cloudy form was enveloped in amber skin, wild black hair, and cold eyes.

Selah’s knees buckled as she broke into a sob. “Nava! Is that you? Please, Nava, come back to me. I need you,” she gasped. She scrambled to her feet and ran to Nava, who hovered wordlessly above the lake. When Selah reached her, she fell forward to her knees. She turned around to see white fog dispersing and reassembling to once more take the shape of her lover. Selah let her head sink and follow her heart. Her voice turned frigid as she peered up at the entity though draped red curls. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’ve come to warn you, child. Your kind, the Sith, will perish.”

“You’re wrong. We are stronger than the Jedi,” Selah contended.

“Are you?” She lifted her chin as the lake around them vanished, suddenly replaced by valleys of carved canyons decorated with multitudes of thick evergreen. The cries of men and growls of lightsabers marched on Selah’s ears as the vision developed fully. She saw flashes of sky blue, emerald, violet and crimson sparkle around her as Jedi and Sith clashed among themselves. Boulders were lifted from their graves and trees were uprooted and launched over her head as Force users desperately tried to kill one another. Her ruby irises watched helplessly as men and women were flung around like leaves in a gathering storm, their faces still and their sabers quieted forever.

Selah followed the woman in white as she guided her though the carnage, her pace steady and practiced. At the edge of a wide cliff, she paused and waved her hand out. Selah’s eyes followed the pale fingers and saw the thousands of bodies filling the canyon. She knew they were Sith, she could feel it.

“All that your kind believe in is power, and power is not something to be shared among thousands. Yes, your kind shall succumb almost entirely.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you showing me this?”

The silver woman reached her hand out again, but this time sending a massive wave of force at Selah that knocked the air out of her lungs in a tremendous push. It was as if the woman exiled her out of the vision and back into the depths of slumber.

Selah shot up in her bed, her heart pounding and her eyes wet.

 

 

*

The next morning, she was informed of a guest’s arrival. She should have known that the only person brave enough to visit her would be Bane, and his courage was confirmed as the bald man strode up to her throne, bending his knee at her feet.

“Sister. Or should I say Your Grace?” he snickered.

She flashed him a half smile of feigned hospitality. Though she did have to admit, she grew comfortable in Atropanus’ throne over the years.

“Where is your old master?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“He was weak, so I crushed him,” she beamed, remembering the sound of her old master’s skull cracking underneath her fingers, and the feel of the soft pink matter inside.

“I always thought you’d look better on a throne.”

“Flattering. Your clever tongue always served you well, Bane.”

“It could serve you well too, Sister.”

She scoffed and twisted her wrist, producing an incendiary warning as her fingers waved. Bane’s grin expanded.

“I seemed to have missed the meaning of your visit?” she threatened.

He cleared his throat carefully. “War. We have gone on for too long. You failed to heed my warning, and now the Sith’s collective greed has damned us all. Join the Brotherhood of Darkness in the fight on Ruusan.”

Suddenly, an apparition of the woman from the lake conjured from Bane’s shadow, her delicate fingers grazing his shoulders, then dispersing into to the air like a cloud of smoke. Selah blinked and shook the vision away.

“Why should I help you?” she said with disdain.

His smirk grew anew. “Because the Jedi’s Army of Light will be there. Including someone I think you’d be willing to see.” Selah’s eyes widened. _Nava._

“Yes,” he answered her unspoken question.

Her stomach plunged in her abdomen as she pondered his offer. She would do anything for a chance to see Nava again. But could she fight her, if the situation deemed it so?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm hoping to finish this story soon, and I think you'll really like the ending!
> 
> What inspired me this time:
> 
> Jack from Mass Effect: I go to sleep with this. I wake up with it. Everyone I kill, I pretend it’s the ones that did this to me.
> 
> Clone Wars: Revenge is a confession of pain.


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